Before I get too far into this subject, I do want to say that as I am talking with churches around the country I have been encouraged lately with the number of churches that are becoming more aware of the need to be proactive in protecting the people attending their church. With that being said, let’s talk about the different denials that nearly every church is experiencing in some way or another. First, a definition of denial from Merriam-Webster would be a good place to lay a foundation.

DENIAL: Refusing to admit the truth or reality of something unpleasant.

DENIAL: That church security is needed in the society that we live in now.Many people don’t realize that church security has been around for thousands of years. King David started it with 212 men in 1 Chronicles 9:21-24.

I had a common conversation with an unlikely person at a conference this week. This person was a former Marine who bragged about his military service and training. He is now a pastor of a church and has the misguided belief that there doesn’t need to be any concern for the safety and security of people that attend his church. This denial that he has goes as far enough to state the un-scriptural thought that many have that he stated as “Well, it is the house of God and if He wants to protect it and his people then He will choose to do so”. I could have easily debated many points with him had we not been in a crowded environment, but all I stated to him was that there was far more scripture that supported my position than the one that he was stating. He paused for a moment and then admitted that he believed I was right.

DENIAL: That regular and specific training is needed for all aspects of skills.Right now, there is a huge emphasis on being armed in the church. I have addressed this several times and don’t really need to do it here again. For all the training topics listed below, DON’T THINK THAT YOU WILL RISE TO THE OCCASION BECAUSE YOU WILL SINK TO THE LEVEL OF YOUR TRAINING.

Ask anyone in law enforcement and they will tell you that one of the most critical pieces of training needed is VERBAL DE-ESCALATION training. You need to be able to communicate well in all situations. We regularly do this training for churches for not only safety teams but for all staff and volunteers. Contact us if this is something that you feel your church could use.

MEDICAL TRAINING. Should a worst-case scenario happen at your church, on the road, at an event, etc. are you prepared with the right training and equipment to handle those situations or does your church just have those first aid boxes that have been pretty much raided over the years? We can help you with this training and recommended equipment as well or connect you with a trauma trainer that does some amazing training.

DEFENSIVE TACTICS. You can’t assume that everyone is armed that is causing you problems at your church, so if you have a gun and that is the only tool you have, you are going to have issues. If you can’t VERBALLY DE-ESCALATE a situation, you’ve ASKED them, you’ve TOLD them, and it has come to SHOWING them what compliance looks like, do you know how to do it properly to not get injured or to help you get through a potential lawsuit because it shows up on YouTube? If you need this training we can provide a seminar that does this as well as verbal and scenarios.

ARMED TRAINING. As I have said many times, most of the armed people that I meet that are serving in church security I call “certificate holders”. They have just enough training to get their certificate and occasionally go shoot a paper target. I won’t list the many topics that fall under this training, but I will tell you that many people armed in the church that I have talked with are acting on ego and not discernment and training.

DENIAL: We know everyone. Our children are safe. I am still amazed as I go into different churches at the lack of safety and security protocols that are in place to protect the children from the many dangers that they can face in our society today. If you don’t understand what I am referring to, please email me and I will provide you with statistics and fact on what is happening to our children regularly in our churches. There are a variety of service that we provide in protecting the children.

DENIAL: We can’t lock doors! This is often what is said by church leadership because they don’t want to inconvenience anyone or have to address those people who will complain about anything that takes them out of their routine. Controlling the flow of people into your building is important, particularly after the services have started and you have those late comers. Most churches don’t have enough people to keep people positioned outside all the doors all morning.

DENIAL: Nothing ever happens during the week when services are not going. I think most people would be amazed at how unsecured and at-risk church staff are during the week. Often there are counseling sessions going on that can and have gone wrong. Pastors have been killed and secretaries have been beaten during the week. It could be considered negligent if measures are not put in place for the protection of the church staff. What about bible studies and children’s events that go on during the week. What is happening to secure the building and the property? We know background checks are not enough, so what are you doing to screen your staff and workers? We can help on all fronts and in all areas discussed here.

Don’t let denial chock the life (pun intended) out of your ministry, school, or workplace. Take preventative measures now so that you don’t have to take reactionary measures later. Don’t let your church become a memorial. Don’t think that you will rise to the occasion, you will only sink to the level of your training. If you are not regularly training your staff and volunteers, please start today!

Need help training your staff and volunteers, contact us and we will help you.